Don’t be fooled by the animation, 3-D glasses, and PG-rating, Pixar’s Up isn’t just for kids. When stubborn 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen’s (Edward Asner) house is threatened by developers, he decides to relocate to South America, with the help of several thousand balloons of course, but his plans are swiftly complicated by pudgy stowaway Russell, a determined boy scout voiced by talented newcomer Jordan Nagai.
Upon arrival, Fredricksen gets more than he bargained for when his ragtag crew, including a talking dog and enormous bird, falls on the bad side of deluded explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer).
Pixar packs a punch in this 96-minute film about loss and what is really important in life. Frankly, Up says the most when it says nothing at all. Although the montages depicting Fredrickson’s life may, at times, be confusing to children, they push the film up to the next level, taking on a broader target audience.
The film has something for everyone, both a relatable hero and a laugh for parents and children alike. Lead henchman, or should we say dog, Doberman Pincher Alpha (Bob Peterson), had us rolling with laughter, accompanied by the hilarious mime antics of “Kevin” the bird and underdog Dug, a kindly outcast from Muntz’s army of canines.
An excellent follow-up to 2008’s WALL-E, Up is a breath of fresh air to parents forced to sit through hyperactive slop like Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (even the proceeding animated short involving storks and storm clouds held more promise!). Up is more than just an entertaining barrage of 3-D images, it is a lesson about how it is never too late to accomplish your dreams. It is a carpe diem tale where people are valued more than possessions.
